1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote-controlled mobile inspecting and monitoring system and more particularly to a remote-controlled mobile inspecting and monitoring system intended to be used for remote-controlled patrolling checkup works in a plant equipment such as a reactor containment vessel which inhibits the entry of men.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A remote-controlled mobile inspecting and monitoring system of the type as shown in FIG. 1 has been proposed.
Referring to FIG. 1, a power line 2 is extended along a rail 1 and an inspection vehicle 3 is held by a holding mechanism 3d for running along the rail 1. The inspection vehicle 3 carries inspecting and monitoring equipments 4, such as sensors, which are necessary for inspection and monitoring. A current collector shoe 5 is mounted on the inspection vehicle 3 so as to be moved together with the inspection vehicle 3 in sliding contact with the power line 2 to supply power to the inspection vehicle 3. A reference numeral 6 indicates a power supply unit to supply power to the inspecting and monitoring equipments 4. A reference numeral 7 indicates a communication unit for receiving control signals for the telecontrol of the inspection vehicle 3 and for transmitting signals given by the monitoring equipments 4, and 7a indicates an antenna thereof.
The inspecting and monitoring equipments 4 mounted on the inspection vehicle 3 include a television camera for visual inspection, a microphone for acoustic inspection, a dosimeter, a thermometer and a hygrometer.
No driving mechanism for moving the inspection vehicle 3 is shown in FIG. 1. An external driving mechanism designed to pull the inspection vehicle 3 with a chain or an internal driving mechanism integrated with the inspection vehicle 3 for self-moving travel may be employed. In this embodiment, for the convenience of description, it is assumed that the inspection vehicle 3 is driven by a chain type driving mechanism.
FIG. 2 shows, by way of example, a mode of application of a mobile inspecting and monitoring system as shown in FIG. 1 to inspecting and monitoring works in a nuclear power plant. Referring to FIG. 2, there are shown a reactor containment vessel 8, rails 1a, 1b and 1c laid along inspection routes and a central control room 9 located at a place away from the reactor containment vessel 8. A control console 10 for remote-controlling mobile inspecting and monitoring systems in the reactor containment vessel 8 is installed in the central control room 9.
In this system, an operator operates the control console 10 to move the inspection vehicles 3a, 3b and 3c along the predetermined rails 1a, 1b and 1c respectively. The output signals of the inspecting and monitoring equipments 4 mounted on the inspection vehicles 3a, 3b and 3c, namely sensors, are transmitted through the communication unit 7. The conditions of the facilities and equipments installed in the reactor containment vessel 8 are decided on the basis of those output signals of the sensors.
Thus, the operator is allowed to carry out the inspecting and monitoring works remotely from those facilities and equipments without actually patrolling around those facilities and equipments. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out inspecting and monitoring works safely even in a place attended with a danger of being exposed to radioactive rays, such as in a reactor containment vessel.
However, since current collector shoes which slide in contact with power lines have been employed in such a conventional system for supplying power to the equipments mounted on the inspection vehicles, the sliding abrasion of the power lines and the current collector shoes, and the generation of sparks have been the disadvantages of such a conventional system. In using an inspection vehicle in a reactor containment vessel, in particular, the generation of sparks must be reduced to the least possible extent, since it is possible that an explosive gas, such as hydrogen, is generated in a reactor containment vessel. It is possible to provide a battery unit on the inspection vehicle to supply power to the onboard equipments of the inspection vehicle, as a means to solve those problems. However, since those onboard equipments include equipments of large rate of electric power consumption, such as illuminating lamps, a battery unit of a large capacity needs to be provided, which increases the weight and the size of the inspection vehicle disadvantageously.